ACCUMULATORS OF NITROGEN. 



339 



in a soil perfectly devoid of nitrogen and without the application 

 of nitrogenous manure. This circumstance is so much the more 

 remarkable since both the leaves and seed of pulse contain an 

 unusually large proportion of combined nitrogen, and are, in fact, 

 richer in this element than any other vegetable food-stuffs. This 

 fact will be best displayed by the subjoined table, giving the average 

 figures, obtained from a large number of analyses, of the percentage 

 of nitrogen in the dry matter of the seeds of 



Maize . 

 Buckwheat 

 Oats 

 Wheat 



1.8 

 1.9 

 1.9 

 2-3 



Peas 



Beans . 

 Lentils . 

 Soja beans 



4-3 

 4.6 



4-7 

 6.1 



From the large number of researches instituted on the assimila- 

 tion of nitrogen by plants, the following example, given by EMIL 

 WOLFF (I.), may be selected, and may easily be repeated on a 

 small scale by the reader for his own information. A number of 

 zinc boxes were filled with 24 kilos. (53 Ibs.) of washed calcareous 

 river-sand destitute of nitrogen-, the necessary mineral nutrient 

 substances (P 2 ^5> S0 3 , K 2 0, MgO) being then added and the seeds 

 mentioned in the following table sown. A certain number of 

 these boxes contained 0.83 gram of nitrogen apiece in the form of 

 nitre. The total dry matter and total nitrogen in the crop were 

 determined, with the following results : 



This table shows that, in the case of peas and vetches, a high 

 yield containing much nitrogen can be obtained, without the soil 

 (initially destitute of nitrogen) having received any application of 

 this element in the form of manure. Such manuring is conse- 

 quently unnecessary to these plants. 



The results of these experiments on a small scale are confirmed 

 by the observation of large farmers. Schultz of Lupitz, a land- 

 owner in the Mark (Brandenburg), states that he has gathered 

 227 kilos, of nitrogen per hectare (about 200 Ibs. per acre) annu- 

 ally from his "lupin meadows," for fifteen years without any 

 nitrogenous manuring. Similar results are reported by Deh^rain 

 from experiments with sainfoin, by the cultivation of which from 



